How many LTL Freight Quote apps do I install?

Online merchants often want to present LTL freight quotes from multiple carriers at checkout so shoppers can compare prices and service levels before completing a purchase. There are several ways to accomplish this, each with different tradeoffs related to checkout performance, control, and fulfillment workflow.

Use Multiple Carrier Quote Apps

One option is to install multiple LTL freight quote apps, each connected directly to a specific carrier. Each app independently retrieves rates from its carrier’s API and returns them to the checkout.

This approach allows merchants to maintain direct relationships with each carrier. However, each app makes its own API call during checkout. The platform must wait for all responses to return within platform time limits before displaying rates. This can increase checkout load times and the likelihood that one or more rates fail to appear. Each app also applies its own sorting logic, which can result in rates being displayed in an inconsistent or unpredictable order.

Use a 3PL (Third-Party Logistics Provider)

Another option is to work with a 3PL. A 3PL provides access to multiple carriers through a single account and typically returns aggregated rates through one API connection. This simplifies checkout configuration and reduces the number of API calls required.

Using a 3PL means carriers are accessed indirectly. Rates, branding, available services, and booking behavior are controlled by the 3PL rather than the merchant’s direct carrier accounts. In some cases, certain carrier features or negotiated terms may not be available. The merchant is also dependent on the 3PL’s infrastructure, policies, and service availability.

Use a Transportation Management System (TMS) in the Checkout Workflow

A Transportation Management System (TMS) is typically a fulfillment platform used after an order is placed. It is designed to manage carrier accounts, rate and book shipments, generate shipping documents, and support tracking and carrier communication.

Some Transportation Management Systems expose rating APIs that can be used by checkout quoting applications. In these cases, the TMS supplies shipment rating data based on the enabled carrier accounts, and a compatible checkout app retrieves and presents those rates to the shopper. The checkout app remains responsible for checkout-specific behavior and performance constraints, while the TMS continues to manage shipment execution after the order is placed. This approach requires that the TMS and the checkout integration be designed to support storefront time limits and reliability expectations. Not all TMS platforms are suitable for this use case.

FreightDesk.Online is designed to support this architecture when used with Eniture’s LTL Freight Quote applications. It allows rates from multiple direct carrier accounts to be retrieved in a single request while shipment execution, documentation, and tracking continue to be managed within the TMS after order creation.

Supported TMS Integrations

Eniture Technology provides LTL Freight Quote apps that can retrieve rates from the following systems:

• FreightDesk Online (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento)

• Cortigo TMS (Magento, PrestaShop, Shopify, WooCommerce)

• Freightview (WooCommerce)